This article presents a definition of the Pedagogy of Actualization, briefly describes its conceptual foundations and main sources of influence and introduces each of the eight components that are developed more fully by the other articles in this collective work. It attempts to demonstrate that in a dialectic relationship, the Pedagogy of Actualization unites two sources of socialization that are often placed in opposition to each other. One aims at transmitting society's cultural capital and the other aims at developing capacities of autonomy and critical conscience in individuals and groups. The Pedagogy of Actualization is described as the implementation of a socialisation/autonomization process that targets the full realization of human potential.